Kung Fu Panda: Origins of lun Li
by broken soldier
Summary: Lun Li is a cleaner for the Jade Palace, working around the clock to keep the Hall of Warriors clean. From fixing the training equipment to sweeping the floors, he does his job. He has been at the palace for as long as he can remember. From learning to walk, to Tai Lung's rampage, he's seen it all and then some. This is his story. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1: A Little Talk

_**This is my second full-blown story, following a black houscat by the name of Lun Li. Hunter, my first character, will only be shown in the first few chapters, so He's really more of a cameo. I feel like Tigress is a bit out of character in this chapter, but I'm going to go with it anyway. What do you think? **_

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"Focus...Focus...Focus..."

"What are you doing?", asked Po loudly.

A little too loudly. His question ripped me out of my concentration and brought me back to reality. Horrible, unstable, unbalanced reality. The reality in which I was currently trying to balance on a bamboo rod in. A very thin bamboo rod. His interruption sent me crashing to the ground in a mass of fur and cloth. I was supposed to balance like Shifu does. The objective was to focus on my inner thoughts instead of the act itself and balance, on one foot, until Shifu said I could stop. I had been doing this for at least a few hours, and I had just gotten the hang of the exercise when Po killed my focus.

"Fuck, Po. I was doing something.", I said while standing up on rather unsteady feet.

"Sorry. What WERE you doing anyway?", He inquired.

"I was doing a balance exercise with Shifu. He didn't say I could stop, either.", I explained.

"Oh. I tried that once, and it didn't work at all. I ended up on my head."

"You and me both."

"Oh! That reminds me, I wanted to share a recipe with you, since Viper wants me to teach you how to cook."

I looked around the Training Hall absently while Po rambled on about techniqe for making the perfect Bean Bun. The building was rather dark at night, with only a few lanterns and candles to light the area. Since I was a predetorial animal, I could see well enough through the darkness, and I could clearly see Shifu sitting on his staff, quietly balancing on his left foot. I could see the practice dummy, still showing marks from the beating it gave Po, and the various training areas in the center of the building. A large Jade bowl, several rings from which fire shoots out when the Five train, the spiked manniquins sitting quietly, waiting for their next chance to hit Po's tenders, but other than that there wasnt much. While looking about, I heard a small scraping sound coming from the darkness.

I checked to see who it was, and it wasn't Shifu. He hadn't moved, and Po was trying to intimidate the Practice dummy. I looked more carefully, and could see a small white blob moving about. This was bad. We didn't need another problem, because the last few month's events still had everybody wired up, so I decided to check it out for myself. I crouched low to the ground, the tail on the back of my tunic scraping against the ground. My large brown ears were swiveling left and right, taking in every sound, while my big green eyes fixated on the spot. I started slowly, moving on all four legs towards the point of interest, every muscle in my body tense in preperation to run. After only a few steps I was ten feet away, and I could now plainly see that is was a cat. A black housecat, smaller than me. He was wearing white pants, but had nothing to speak of in the way of a shirt and shoes. His small frame was moving left and right in a rythm that seemed so practiced, I would have thought he had done it every day. He was holding a broom and dragging back and fourth across the wooden floor with the same rythm, which was making the scraping sound I heard. The feline was also turning while he did it, slowly bringing his face into my field of view. His golden eyes were watching the action thoughtfully, and eventually his gaze fell on me.

"Oh, hello. I didn't see you there.", he adressed.

The jigg was up, so I stood up to stand at a full two feet tall. He gestured with his small hand for me to join him, so I calmly walked to his position and stood in front of him. I couldn't believe it, but I had to anngle my head down to look him in the eye.

"So, any reason you were spying on me?", he inquired nonchalantly.

"I uh, well, I heard the sound of the broom on the floor, and I didn't know that people cleaned the training hall, so I checked it out.", I answered nervously.

"It's alright.", he answered "Most people don't know I work here, so I didn't expect you to notice me right away. It took Po nearly six months to find me while he was training late one night. I clean the Hall at night because it's impossible to get anything done while the Five are training.", He answered with a chuckle.

"I remember once Master Tigress had tripped over my tools while I was fixing one of the support beams after Monkey broke it. Quite a loud argument after that.", he said, waving his hand in dismissal.

"What's your name?", I asked the cleaner.

"Lun Li at your sevice.", he said with a bow. "It's nice to meet you formally, Hunter."

"You too.", I answered awkwardly. " How do you know my name?"

"I practically live in the Training Hall. I hear Master Shifu use your name alot when you disobey him.", he explained.

"Right. How long have you been working at this?", I questioned while gesturing towards the newly swept floor.

"A few hours.", he answered. "I'm finished now though."

"That's good. I can't imagine how tedious this must be."

"You've never swept a floor before?", he asked in a surprised tone.

"I have. Just not one this big. And knowing Shifu, he must look at this floor under a magnifying glass.", I joked.

"Indeed. I was about to take a walk to talk to Master Tigress, would you care to join me?", he asked.

"Sure."

With that last remark and approval from Shifu, we strolled out of the training hall and into the night air. We talked a bit on our way to the Student Barracks, and it turns out that Lun Li was twenty, and he had been working here all his life. He learned to walk here, learned to talk here, how to work, train, and fight, all at the palace. He was here when Tigress was little, and when Shifu took in Tai LUng. He doesn't know anything else. He can't remember anything before the Palace.

"Okay, okay. What was Tigress like when she was really little?", I asked with a chuckle.

"Good one. Well, she was lighter. Happier. She would play with me alot when she wasn't training, and she played with dominoes alot. She was obsessed with the little pieces of wood, and would stack them into small towers, then she would try and keep me from knocking them down. It was a game we played when we were little, and she always was good at it. Then when Tai Lung started training here, she didn't want to play anymore. She spent alot of time thinking. Sitting on the roof in the cold and rain at night. When I offered her a blanket, or asked if she wanted me to stay up with her, she would just shake her head. If I didn't leave, she would grow angry, so I never stayed around when she refused.", he reflected sadly.

"Then it got worse. She would train hard. Punching trees until her hands were bleeding, then do everything her physical limits would allow when she trained and then some. She started coming into the Training Hall exhausted and leaving even worse. Her hair started falling out from stress, and she didn't eat for a few days at a time. Nothing Master Shifu could say would get her to eat, and she would just sit in her room until she only had enough strength left to get nourishment. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy most of the time from lack of sleep, and she wouldn't let anyone know what was wrong. She would pace around the palace nervously, and I heard her crying in her room more then once."

"Wow. I didn't know that. I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's alright. You should know. Though, after a while she got better. She started eating again, her hair stopped falling out, and she seemed more focused. She was quieter than before, but she seemed better. I was glad to see her better, too. I was worried about her.", he answered somewhat cheerfully.

After what seemed like forever, we arrived at Tigress' room, trying to be quiet as to not wake her before we got to her door.

"Master Tigress?", Lun Li called as he knocked on her door. After a minute of silence, he called again.

"Master Tigress? I would like to speak with you."

Nothing. After yet a while longer, he decided to walk in. He slowly slid the wooden barrier open while peeking into the room.

"She's gone.", he said nervously.

"What do you mean?"

"She's gone. She isn't here. She should be here. She is always here at night. She sleeps here. Why isn't she here?"

"You sound worried."

"I grew up with her. I watched her through good and bad for twenty years. She's like a sister. I was always beside her. Of coarse I'm worried.", He replied in a slightly paniked tone.

Then the feline suddenly raised his head, his ears perking up. "I hear her."

"Where?", I asked.

"On the roof. Over the Hall of Warriors.", he said, already climbing out of the window.

I followed the cat as best as I could. He was much faster than me, though, making it clear he had gone through some training. We ran across the roof carefully, the jade tiles threatining to slip out from under our feet. As we made progress, the sound grew louder. It soon became clear as a choking sound, followed by a sharp intake of breath. Someone was crying.

"What makes you think this is Tigress?", I asked over the wind from the mountain slopes.

"It is her. It couldn't be anyone else."

After what seemed like forever, we arrived at the raised roof of the Hall of Warriors, the crying coming from the top. Lun Li's tail was flicking about nervously, and he was climbing up as fast as he could, while I stayed where I was. I could here Lun Li call her name, though.

"Tigress? Are you alright?", he asked timidly.

"I'm fine. Go away, Lun Li.", she said through choking sobs.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong.", he challenged.

"Nothing."

"Tigress. Something's wrong."

"I'm fine. Go away."

"I'm not moving until you tell me.", he said while I heard him sit beside her. "I need to know what's troubling you."

"Fine. I'll tell you.", she answered grudingly. "I was thinking about Tai Lung."

"Tai Lung? What about him?"

"He replaced me.", she said with a slight growl.

"Shifu loved him more than me. Everything I did needed improvement, and everything Tai Lung tried was perfect. Shifu gave all of his love to him. I tried so hard for his approval, and when Tai Lung got it, he shrugged it off as nothing. Then when he had his episode, Shifu barely looked at me with anything but disdain."

"Tigress, he was just hurt. His son had betrayed him and tried to end his life."

"And his daughter did everything to make him notice her!", she screamed in anger.

"I trained so hard it hurt! I trained until my bones were broken and my hands were bloody! And then Po came and took the one chance I had to make him proud! And the worst part is, he didn't even try.", she yelled.

"Don't hold that against Po. It was Oogway's choice. He would have just as soon triiped over himself while babbling apologies and wishing you luck until he bounced all the way down the steps to the valley.", he retorted.

"I know.", she said in defeat. "I'm just so...angry. At everything."

"I know, Tigress. Take as long as you want to calm down."

"That may take a few years.", she said with a scoff.

"I'll help you through it. So will Po and the Five. I'm willing to bet Hunter will to if you promise not to shake him around."

"You think it scared him that bad?"

"Not really.", Lun Li said with a chuckle.

"Tigress.", he said.

"Yes?", the feline questioned.

"I was heading down to the valley with Hunter to get some more Tofu. Would you like to come with us?"

"I think that would be nice. Help me get my mind off things.", she said while standing up. "When do you think he'll stop spying on us?"

"I'd say about now.", he answered.

"I wasn't spying!", I yelled while popping up from my hiding place.

"What were you doing, then?", asked Tigress with a hint of sarcasm.

"I was observing quietly from the sidelines.", I said. "Totally different."

"Sure it is.", replied Tigress with a slight chuckle. "Do you guys ming keeping this a secret from the others?", she asked.

"Sure Master Tigress.", confirmed Lun Li.

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_**So here's chapter one. It's a bit of a slow start, but I need some way to get the story going. I hope I was descriptive enough. :p**_


	2. Chapter 2: Pleasure Doing Business

_**This one is really short, but I wanted to roll this chapter out as soon as possible because I'm impatient :p I hope it's descriptive enough.**_

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"Almost there.", said Lun Li.

"Were are we going exactly?", I asked.

"We're going to get some more tofu. Lun Li and I need more since Po ate it all.", answered Tigress.

"Lun Li, you eat tofu?", I questioned.

"I hate meat.", he said with a shudder. "Blood. Meat. Skin. Guts. Disgusting. I prefer plants and tofu."

We had been walking through the valley for a while, the night air nipping at our faces. After riding down the steps from the Jade Palace, this time with no face-scraping on the wall, we had begun walking through the crowded streets. Most pedestrians had gone home by now, the dark scaring them into bed. I for one like it here at night. No pigs to bump into or bunnies to kick your shins. The only downside being the bandits and other scum running around to pick off the stragglers.

"Help!"

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Speaking of which...

The bandit had the man cornered in an alley and was holding a stilleto to the sheep's throat demanding he hand over his coin bag. The victim was trembling uncontrollably as he reached behind his back slowly to pull out a rather large bag. With a greedy grin, the bandit, by the looks of which was a crocodile grabbed the bag and dropped the man onto the ground.

"Thanks, buddy.", said the sleezy man while he counted out the coin. "One hundred and fifty-six gold coins. Pleasure doing business with you."

As the bandit began walking away, Lun Li stepped out from the front of the alleyway to stand in the man's way.

"I would advise you return that which isn't yours.", he warned, a dangerous tone in his voice.

"Oh no! An alleycat! I'm sooo scared! Please don't hurt me!", the bandit yelled in mock fear. "Get out of the way, kid. Before I hurt you."

The man began to step over him, but Lun Li quickly grabbed his ankle. "I'll give you something to be scared about."

Lun Li firmly planted his furry foot beside the crocodile's. Using his new leverage, he pulled on the thief's ankle with one hand, and hit the back of his opposite knee with the other, sending the crocodile's leg to the ground as the joint collapsed from the sudden blow. Lun Li was waiting for that, and he used the crocodile's weight against him as he pulled the man's hand backwards to the floor, sending him onto his back. While he cried out in pain.

"Ow! Ow ow ow! Okay! Uncle! Uncle!", he yelled. Lun Li then proceeded to climb onto the bandit's stomach and up to his chest, then firmly planted his foot into the thief's eye.

"Hand over the coin bag.", said the cat calmly.

"Alright!", he yelled while producing the coin purse. "Take it!"

Lun Li grabbed the satchel and jumped off the thief. "Pleasure doing business with you. Now scram."

The man took his chance to leave and sped out of the alleyway as fast as he could. Lun Li only walked calmly to the sheep and helped him off of the ground. After the man dusted himself off and regained his compsure, he thankfully took the satchel from the cat.

"Thank you! I am in your debt! What is your name?", the man babbled.

"Lun Li at your sevice.", he said with a bow.

"I will remember you, Lun Li! For now, take this.", with that, the man poured several golden coins from the satchel and handed them to the cat.

"Thank you. This will be most useful.", he said.

After that, the man said something about being late for dinner and sped off to his home. Lun Li walked from the alleyway, coins in hand, while Tigress and I came out from hiding.

"That was amazing!", I yelled.

"It was nothing.", he said modestly.

"Nothing? Nothing?! You totally kicked ass!", I shouted, striking a pose similar to his when he flipped the bandit.

"Well, I don't know about that..."

"I do! Totally awesome! It was better than awesome! It was... Bodacious!", I yelled, striking another pose.

"Did Po teach you that word?", asked Tigress.

"How'd you know?"

"He uses it regularly.", she answered.

"We can use these to buy that Tofu.", he intterupted. "Let's go."

"Alright.", agreed Tigress.

I followed silently after them, still striking a pose here and there. What can I say? That little incident gave me Kung Fu Fever.

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_**I hope Lun Li is enough of a badass for you guys. If I'm correct, Lun Li means reason.**_


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